Digital microfiche and apparatus for accurately positioning the microfiche

Abstract

Microfiche cards bear digital information. The digital information includes information to be read and/or information for controlling a microfiche card transport and/or scanner in order to accurately position the microfiche card for information retrieval. Static alignment techniques are also disclosed for aligning the information content of a microfiche card with respect to the transport.

We claim: 
     
       1. A digital microfiche for use with an optical scanner, comprising: a first storage area bearing optically retrievable first information arranged in a plurality of parallel rows;   a second storage area bearing identification codes for at least one of said rows and first alignment codes for said one row; and   a third storage area bearing second alignment codes for said one row identical to said first alignment codes; and   a centering mark, said centering mark located on the centerline of said one row.   
     
     
       2. The digital microfiche of claim 1, comprising: a centering mark, a first alignment code and a second alignment code for each of said rows.   
     
     
       3. The digital microfiche of claim 1, comprising: a centering mark, a first alignment code and a second alignment code for at least two spaced apart rows.   
     
     
       4. A digital microfiche for use with an optical scanner, which is movable relative thereto, comprising: a microfiche card including a header and a body,   at least one information bearing frame on said body including a plurality of parallel rows of digital information extending generally perpendicular to said header,   at least one centering mark located adjacent said header and on the centerline of a respective row,   a first alignment code on said body at one end of and extending transversely of the respective row, and   a second alignment code located at the end of the respective row opposite said first alignment code, said first and second alignment codes defining any skew of the row with respect to the scanner when the scanner is reading said centering mark.   
     
     
       5. The digital microfiche of claim 4, comprising: a separate centering mark for each of said rows, and   wherein said first and second alignment codes extend transversely across all of said rows.   
     
     
       6. The digital microfiche of claim 4, comprising: a second centering mark spaced from said one centering mark on the centerline of a corresponding row, and   other first and second alignment codes at opposite ends of said corresponding row to recheck alignment at said corresponding row as the relative movement of the scanner and card positions the scanner at said corresponding row.   
     
     
       7. A digital microfiche for use with an optical scanner which extends in a first direction and is movable relative the microfiche in a second direction, comprising a microfiche member including a body storing digital information arranged in parallel rows which extend in the first direction,   a plurality of centering marks, each of said centering marks located on the centerline of a respective row,   a first band of code marks including a plurality of first code marks which constitute the addresses of each of said rows, said first code marks including first alignment marks, and   a second band of code marks including second alignment marks, indicate any skew from the first direction between the scanner and a row when the scanner is located to read the respective centering mark.   
     
     
       8. The digital microfiche of claim 7, comprising: a start-of-data mark and a end-of-data mark located immediately adjacent and at respective ends of said rows of digital data.   
     
     
       9. The digital microfiche of claim 7, wherein: said first and second alignment marks are identical.   
     
     
       10. The digital microfiche of claim 7, comprising: information frames which include said rows of digital information, and wherein   said first band of code marks includes frame identification marks.   
     
     
       11. In a microfiche of the type which has information bearing frames spaced apart in rows which extend in at least a first direction, which frames are to be permeated by a light beam, the microfiche to be carried by a transport which is movable in at least the first direction, the improvement comprising a plurality of tracking lines on said microfiche extending in said first direction in the spaces between and adjacent each of said rows of frames to be sensed by a light sensor,   a plurality of row identification codes between said tracking lines associated with and defining a frame address along the first direction to be read by the light sensor, and   frame stop codes in the spaces between said tracking lines and at predetermined locations with respect to said frames, to be read by the light sensor.   
     
     
       12. The microfiche of claim 11, wherein said frame stop codes are spaced a predetermined distance from the centers of said frames. 
     
     
       13. The microfiche of claim 11, wherein said frame stop codes are spaced a predetermined distance from certain corners of said frames.   
     
     
       14. The microfiche of claim 11, wherein the frames are arranged spaced apart in an array so as to extend in the first and a second direction, and said tracking lines are first tracking lines and said row identification codes are first row identification codes, and said frame stop codes are first frame stop codes, and comprising   a plurality of second tracking lines between said frames and extending in the second direction to be sensed by the light sensor, and   a plurality of second row identification codes between said second tracking lines and defining a frame address along the second direction to be read by the light sensor, and   a plurality of said frame stop codes in the spaces between said second tracking lines and at predetermined locations with respect to said frames, to be read by the light sensor.   
     
     
       15. The microfiche of claim 11, comprising auxiliary data codes between said tracking lines.   
     
     
       16. The microfiche of claim 15, wherein said auxiliary codes are between first and second, and second and third, tracking lines and are redundant.   
     
     
       17. A microfiche reading system for a microfiche which has rows of digital information extending in a first direction, a centering mark on the centerline of at least one of said rows, a first alignment code at one end of the one row, and a second alignment code at the opposite end of the one row, comprising a scanner including an optical sensor which extends in the first direction and which is mounted for movement, relative the microfiche, in the first direction and which is pivotally mounted for arcuate movement, relative the microfiche, a sensor position drive and a sensor alignment drive,   first means connected to said sensor position drive and operable to cause positioning of said sensor adjacent the one row of digital information in response to detection of the first alignment code, and operable to energize said sensor position drive until said sensor senses the centering mark,   second means operable to compare the first and second alignment codes sensed by said sensor and provide a skew error, in response to misalignment of said sensor and the one row, to cause said sensor alignment drive to pivot said sensor to correct for the skew.   
     
     
       18. The microfiche reading system of claim 17, wherein each row has a centering mark, a first alignment code and a second alignment code and wherein said first means comprises a row address input means, a sensor register connected to said sensor for storing information read by said sensor,   a counter connected to said sensor register for counting rows, and   an increment register connected to said sensor register to cause said position drive to incrementally position said sensor until a centering mark is detected.   
     
     
       19. The microfiche reading system of claim 18, wherein said second means comprises a sensor alignment register connected to said sensor register for storing sensed first and second alignment codes,   said first and second means including a programmed comparator register having inputs connected to said input means, said counter, said increment register and said alignment register, and   outputs connected to said position and alignment drives, for causing positioning and alignment of said sensor in response to the data received at its inputs.   
     
     
       20. A microfiche reading system for positioning, in a viewing position, a selected frame of a microfiche which has a plurality of spaced-apart frames arranged in rows which are aligned in at least one direction and which frames have respective address codes stored on the microfiche, comprising a microfiche transport and an optical scanner, a selected one of said transport and optical scanner being movable to provide relative movement therebetween along the one direction, said transport supporting the microfiche adjacent said optical scanner, said scanner operable to read said stored addresses and provide corresponding first address signals corresponding to the frame address being scanned,   register means connected to said scanner for storing said first address signals,   drive means including positioning means connected to the movable one of said microfiche transport and optical scanner and operable to move the same along the one direction,   address input means for generating second addresss signals representing a selected frame to be positioned at the viewing position, and   control means connected to said drive means and to said address input means and said register means for comparing said first and second address signals and causing operation of said drive means in response to differences therebetween.   
     
     
       21. The system of claim 20, wherein the microfiche includes a plurality of parallel tracking lines extending along the rows of frames, and wherein said scanner includes track scanning means for detecting the tracking lines and providing tracking signals,   said drive means includes error means for causing movement in a second direction perpendicular to the one direction, and   said system comprises   a tracking comparator connected to said track scanning means for comparing said tracking signals to reference tracking signals and providing tracking error signals to said error means to cause compensating movement to correct tracking.   
     
     
       22. A microfiche reading system for positioning, in a viewing position, a selected frame of a microfiche which has a plurality of frames arranged spaced-apart in an array of columns and rows and frame column and row addresses codes stored on the microfiche in the spaces between the columns and the rows, respectively, comprising address input means operable to generate selected column and row address signals corresponding to a desired frame to be viewed,   a microfiche transport for supporting the microfiche and including first positioning means operable in response to first positioning signals to move the microfiche along the column direction and second position means operable in response to second positioning signals to move the microfiche along the row direction,   optical scanning means adjacent said microfiche transport for reading said column and row address codes and producing corresponding column and row address signals,   control means connected to said scanning means and said address input means and to said transport for comparing said selected and corresponding address signals and generating the first and second positioning signals in response to differences between the selected and read addresses.   
     
     
       23. A data record to be read with an optical scanner which extends in a first direction, comprising a microfiche card, said microfiche card including   at least one first information storage area storing output data in rows which extend in the first direction,   at least one second information storage area storing row center data aligned with and indicating the centers of the rows of output data,   third and fourth, spaced apart, information storage areas, said third information storage area storing row identification data for each row of output data, and   each of said third and fourth information storage areas storing, for each row of output data, skew data oriented with respect to the first direction such that the scanner must read different skew data when there is skew of the scanner with respect to a row of output data.   
     
     
       24. The data record of claim 23, wherein: said third and fourth information storage areas lie on opposite sides of said first information storage area.   
     
     
       25. The data record of claim 23, wherein: said second information storage area comprises a plurality of center marks extending in a row in a second direction.   
     
     
       26. The data record of claim 25, wherein: said third and fourth information storage areas lie on opposite sides of said first information storage area.   
     
     
       27. The data record of claim 26, wherein: said third information area lies between said first and second information areas.   
     
     
       28. The data record of claim 23, wherein: said output data is in digital form.   
     
     
       29. The data record of claim 28, wherein: said output data comprises COM generated data.   
     
     
       30. The data record of claim 23, wherein: said row identification is in digital form.   
     
     
       31. The data record of claim 23, wherein: said skew data is in digital form.   
     
     
       32. The data record of claim 31, wherein: said skew data comprises a pair of identical digital codes located in said third and fourth information storage areas, respectively.   
     
     
       33. The data record of claim 23, wherein: said information storage areas are carried across said microfiche card in the order of second, third, first and fourth information storage areas.   
     
     
       34. A data record to be read by an optical scanner which extends in a first direction, comprising a microfiche data carrier,   a plurality of parallel rows of output data borne by said data carrier,   a plurality of first marks borne by said data carrier extending in a row in a second direction, each mark aligned centered of a respective row of output data,   a plurality of second marks adjacent and identifying respective rows of output data,   a plurality of third marks forming a first digital skew code at and on each side of a centerline through each first mark and its respective row of output data,   a plurality of fourth marks forming a second digital skew code identical to the first digital skew code at and on each side of each of the centerlines, said skew codes defining skew upon misalignment of the scanner and a centerline.   
     
     
       35. A data record to be scanned in a first direction by an optical scanner, comprising: a microfiche card including a plurlity of rows of digital output information, each of said rows extending parallel to each other of said rows and perpendicular to the direction of scanning; and   skew coding on said microfiche card extending on each side of the centerline of at least one row of digital output information to define skew misalignment between the scanner and the centerline, at the beginning of a scan.   
     
     
       36. A method of aligning an optical sensor with a row of digital information carried by a microfiche, comprising the steps of: applying an address code for the row on the microfiche to identify the row, including first alignment data at one end of the row,   applying a center mark on the centerline of the row, applying second alignment data on the microfiche at the opposite end of the row,   scanning across the microfiche until the address code is sensed, continuing scanning until the center mark is sensed,   reading and comparing the first and second alignment codes to determine any skew between the centerline of the sensor and the centerline of the row.   
     
     
       37. The method of claim 36, comprising the further steps of: correcting skew between the sensor and the row. 
     
     
       38. The method of claim 37, comprising the further step of: scanning the digital information of the row and generating corresponding output signals.   
     
     
       39. A method of positioning a frame of a microfiche at a viewing position, comprising the steps of: applying digital address codes along a row of frames,   applying a frame stop code for each frame on the microfiche, scanning across the row of frames with an optical sensor until a desired address code is sensed, and   continuing scanning until a frame stop code is sensed.   
     
     
       40. The method of claim 39, further comprising the steps of: applying a plurality of parallel tracking lines on the microfiche parallel to the row of frames,   sensing the tracking lines while scanning for the desired address code, and   correcting the relative positions of the sensor and microfiche to maintain all tracking lines within the sensing range of the sensor.   
     
     
       41. In a microfiche of the type which has information bearing frames spaced apart in rows which extended in at least a first direction, which frames are to be permeated by a light beam, the microfiche to be carried by a transport which is movable in at least the first direction, the improvement comprising at least one tracking line on said microfiche extending in said first direction parallel to said rows of frames to be sensed by a light sensor,   a plurality of row identification codes associated with and defining frame addresses on said microfiche along the first direction to be read by the light sensor, and   frame stop codes at predetermined locations with respect to said frames, to be read by the light sensor.   
     
     
       42. A data record to be scanned in a first direction by an optical scanner, comprising: a microfiche card including a plurality of rows of digital output information, each of said rows extending parallel to each other of said rows and perpendicular to the direction of scanning; and   a pair of skew codes, each skew code located spaced from the other skew code at and on each side of the centerline of the first row to define skew misalignment between the scanner and the centerline, at the beginning of the scan.   
     
     
       43. An information record comprising: a microfilm body including peripheral edge extending about said body, a marginal first area adjacent said peripheral edge and a second area adjacent said first area;   said second area bearing rows of digital information; and   said first area bearing digital addresses, each address adjacent and identifying a respective row of digital information.   
     
     
       44. An information record comprising: a microfilm body including a peripheral edge extending about said body, a marginal first area adjacent said peripheral edge and a second area adjacent said first area;   said second area including sub-areas bearing graphic information; and   said first area bearing digital addresses, each address identifying a respective sub-area of graphic information.